1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display apparatus, and more specifically to a liquid crystal display apparatus equipped with an input device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, liquid crystal display apparatus are used in car navigation systems or the like, and such liquid crystal display apparatus are required to be equipped with a data entry function, and therefore they usually include a liquid crystal display panel and an input device such as a touch panel provided on the display surface side of the liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display panel has such a structure that an array substrate and a counter substrate are arranged to face each other with a gap provided therebetween by spacers, and a liquid crystal layer is held between these two substrates. These two substrates are adhered to each other by their peripheral portions with a sealing member. The input device is provided on an outer side of the counter substrate. In order to enter data directly, the input surface of the touch panel is touched with, for example, a finger.
Here, when the input surface is touched with a pressure, the stress created by the touch is concentrated on the liquid crystal display panel on which the touch panel is stacked, and therefore, in some case, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer is varied (the deformation of the liquid crystal) or the liquid crystal layer is brought into contact with the array substrate and counter substrate. As a result, electric short-circuiting between the array substrate and counter substrate and a display error caused by a gap error between liquid crystal layers occur, thereby deteriorating the appearance of the displayed image. Under such circumstances, there is a demand for a liquid crystal display apparatus that exhibits an excellent stress resisting performance capability when the input surface is pressed.
Further, the liquid crystal display apparatus includes a backlight unit provided on an outer side of the array substrate. When the input surface is pressed, the light guiding plate of the backlight unit is deformed, thereby deteriorating the appearance of the displayed image.
The present invention has been contrived in consideration of the above-described circumstances and its object is to provide a liquid crystal display apparatus having an excellent stress resisting performance.